Current-propelled hydroplane.



F. S. BAIRD. CURRENT PROP'ELLED HYDROPLANE.

AI PLICATION FILED AUG.13. 19H- Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

man. u. c.

an srnrns rernnr current FRANK S. BAIRD, F PHOENIX, ARIZONA, ASSIGNOROF ONE-HALF T0 Gr. EDWARD GARNER, or PHOENIX,

ARIZONA.

CURRENT-PROPELLED I-IYDROPLAN'E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

Application filed August 13, 1917. Serial No. 185,938.

To all whom it may concern:

e it known that I, FRANK S. BAIRD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Phoenix, in the county of Maricopa and State of Arizona, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Current-Propelled Hydroplanes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to apparatus adapted to be projected across streams of water by the force of the water currents.

Under various circumstances it becomes highly desirable to eflect the passage of streams of water where no means are available or effective for that purpose. For ex ample, in the case of rivers, bridges and other means of communication, such as tele phone and telegraph wires, are often washed out by floods and the reestablishment of communication during the: continuance of the flood conditions is often extremely difficult if not impossible. Again, on salt water, conditions are sometimes encountered where currents set up by the flow of tides, or otherwise, might be utilized by apparatus of the character in question for establishing communication between points separated by the said currents.

The prime object of my invention is the production of a buoyant body which is adapted to be projected across flowing streams, such as above referred to, by the force of said streams and without any c0nnection with a fixed abutment in advance of the body as it proceeds across the stream.

Other objects of the invention, which are more or less incidental to the efiieient carrying out of the main object above stated, will appear in the following description in which, for purposes of explanation, I set forth in connection with the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a plan view of a hydroplane embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a right side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary left side elevaclined downwardly 'side of the longitudinal tion showing the reversible rudder applied to the left side-of the hydroplane.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of construction.

Referring first to the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the main body of the hydroplane comprises a central longitudinal member 1 and a transverse member 2 rigidly secured thereto by bolts or nails 3. In the construction shown the parts 1 and 2 are made of any suitable wood. The longitudinal member 1 is relatively narrow and deep and, when the plane is placed in the water, presents relatively deep upright lateral surfaces 1 to the water. At its front end the member 1 has its corners beveled at l so that the friction of the water on the front end of the plane is reduced to a minimum.

The transverse member 2 of the plane is preferably disposed somewhat in front of the middle of the longitudinal member 1 with its width approximately horizontal. This transverse member is made of a length sufiicient to give the plane lateral stability, and preferably its bottom surface 2 is inand rearwardly for a purpose which will later be explained.

The body of the hydroplane is preferably provided at its rear end with a rudder which tends to direct thelongitudinal member of the plane across currents of water in which the plane floats. In the construction shown the rudder is in rudder and stabilizing device designated as an entirety by 4. This device is formed preferably of sheet metal which is bent to form an upright rudder vane 4 and a horizontal stabilizing vane4 4 is bent on a central vertical line, as indicated in Fig. 3, and is formed with two holes 4, 4 one near each end of the rudder. The device is operatively secured to the body of the hydroplane by means of a bolt 5, as indicated in Fig. 1, or as indicated in Fig. 4. In Fig. l the device is applied to the right member 1, while in Fig. 4 the device is turned end for end and applied to the left side of the member 1.

The hydroplane is provided with a fastening device 6 for a flexible tensionmember such as a rope, cord or wire, the device, in

the form. of a combined The rudder vane the construction shown, being in the form of an arm mounted on a pivot 7 and secured rigidlybut adjustably in fixed relation to the body of the'hydroplane by a pin 8 which is slidably mounted in the arm 6 in position to engage any one of a series of apertures 9', 9 in the transverse member 2 of theplane. At its outer end the arm 6 is formed with an aperture 6 to which the rope 10, or other flexible tension member, angular adjustment of the arm 6 the point of attachment of the tension member 10 to the hydroplane can be adjusted through a considerable range. Also the transverse member 2 is formed on its right side with a series of apertures 9 so that the arm 6 can be swung 180 position on the right side of the hydroplane when the latter is to move in the reverse direction.

Forthe' purpose of strengthening the body of the hydroplane, I prefer to connect the ends of the transverse member 2 with the two ends, of the longitudinal member 1 by means of a wire 11 of suitable weight, the several sections serve to gradually strengthen the structure. This wire 11 can be formed adjacent one end of the transverse member 2 with a series of loops 12 and adjacent the other end of the transverse member with a similar series of loops 12*, each of which constitutes a suitable fastening device by means of which the rope 10 can be secured to the hydroplane. By selecting different fastening loops the connection of the tension member 10 can be varied or adjusted through a considerable range, and these fastening loops can be employed either in lieu of the fastening device Ger for the purpose of affording a supplemental range of adjustment for the connec tion of the tension member 10.-

In the use of the apparatus above described, it is launched in the water with its beveledfront end 1 up stream and with the longitudinal member somewhat across the current. The parts of the hydroplane are so proportioned and related with respect to their specific gravity that the central longitudinal member has its entire depth submerged, while the transverse member 2 is also slightlysubmerged. It will be seen, therefore, that as the operator starts the hydroplane into the current in the position stated,'with the rope or line 10 in hand to be gradually paid out, the force of the cur rent, the direction of which is indicated by the arrow in Fig. -1, striking the 'deep lateral surface of the longitudinal member 1 of the plane, tends toswing the front end of the plane around in the current, but is prevented fromdoing-so by the draftfof the tension member-10. The resultant ofthetwo forces mentioned, that-is the current andthe draft of the tension member 10, tends to urge the can be secured. By

and secured in operative 1 of which, when drawn taut,-

hydroplane across the stream away from the operator who, by gradually payingout the rope or cord 10, can cause the hydroplane to gradually traverse the full width of the stream. 4

In operation. the-stability. of theplane about its longitudinal axis is insured by the transverse member 2; and said transverse member, by virtue of its inclined bottom surface, utilizes the force of the current to produce a substantial lifting action upon thehydroplane which supplements its inherent buoyancy and thereby makes it possible to reduce the submergence-of the transverse stabilizing member 2 to a minimum, and correspondingly reduce the frictional down stream drag ofthe current onthe hy'droplane. I j

It will be obvious that the-rudder P tends in the operation of the hydroplane to direct longitudinal member 1 across the current of the stream into operative position, thus both facilitating the launching of the apparatus into operative position and its maintenance in such operative position after it has passed away from the operator and is subject to his control only through the tension member 10.

.The horizontal stabilizing vane P of the rudder device 4: acts to minimize pitching of the planeand thus helps to maintain it steadily in working position.

An apparatus of this character can be used very successfully and advantageously in carrying a wire across a swollen river where means of communicationhave been washed out, and it will be understood'that by ad-v justing the point of;.connection of the ten sion member 10 to the hydroplane, the latter can be caused to move more or stream as it advances across it, and thus advantage can be taken of the most advantageous point for launching the apparatus on, one side of the stream and for. receiving it on the other.

By connecting the tension member 10 to the right side of the hydroplane'instead of to the left side and by reversing the rudder device 4 and applying it to 1 the left side of the hydroplane, as shown in Fig.4, the apparatus can readily be fitted to traverse a stream in the opposite direction from that indicated in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing I have shown a modified form of construction in which use is made of twolongitudinal members 21 ar rangedparallel to each other, and two transverse members 22 which are spaced apart, as shown, and rigidly secured to the longitudinal members 21. Both the members 21 and 22 are shaped in substantially the same fashion as the corresponding,members 1 and 2 in Fig. 1, and as in structure is braced by a wire23 which joins less down the the latter case, the

the ends of the members 21 and 22 as inher 25 provided with branches 25 25, which are secured at 26 and 27 to the body of the hydroplane. The Wire 23 is also formed with loops 28 and 28 which constitute alternative means for connecting the tension;

member 25 tothe body of the plane.

In Fig. 5 the large arrow indicates the direction of the current and, as will be readily understood, the operation of the apparatus is similar in all respects to that of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

It will be understood that the foregoing description and the disclosure in the drawing are solely for the purpose of explanation and illustration and are not to be construed in a limiting sense. It is obvious that many widely varying modifications of the constructions shown can be effected without departing from my. invention. Also an apparatus of this character can be put to numerous uses other than those mentioned. In particular, its adaptability as'a toy and for purposes of sport will be readily appreciatec.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the character described,

the combination of a body adapted to sustam itself in a stream of water and comprising an elongated part having relatively deep longitudinally extending lateral sur-'- faces adapted when lying across the current of the stream to strongly resist the same and means for giving the body lateral stability so as to maintain the said lateral surfaces in upright position, and fastening means fora flexible tension device so disposed on} the said body that the draft of a flexible tension device secured thereto acts to hold the body I with its said lateral surfaces across the current of the stream while the resultant-of the forces of the current'and the tension device on the body impels it across the stream as the tensiondevice is paid out.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a buoyant body adapted to sustain, itself in a stream OfpWEltQI' and havlng relatlvely deep longitudinally ex tending lateral surfaces adapted when lying; across the current of the resist the same and having also parts extending laterally from the said longitudinal surfaces whereby the latter are stably maintained in upright position, and fastening means for a flexible tension device so disposed on the said with its lateral surfaces stream to strongly body thatthe draft of a. flexible tension device secured thereto acts to hold the body across the current of the stream While the resultant of the forces of the current and the tension device on the body impels it across the stream as the tension device is paid out.

3. In apparatus of thecharacter described, the com ination of a buoyant body adapted to sustain itself in a stream of water and comprising an elongated part having rela tively deep longitudinally extending lateral surfaces adapted when lying across the current of the stream to strongly-resist the same, means for rendering the said body stable with respect to -its longitudinal axis and its transverse axls, and fastenlng means for a flexible tension device so disposed on the said body that the draft of a flexible tension device secured thereto acts to hold the body with its said lateral surfaces across the current of the stream while the resultant of the forces of the current and the tension device on the body impels it across the stream as the tension device is paid out.

4;. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a body adapted to sustain itself in a stream of water and comprising an elongated part having relatively deep longitudinally extending lateral surfaces adapted when lying across the current of the stream to strongly resist the same and means for giving the body lateral stability so as to maintain the said lateral surfaces in upright position, additional means for rendering the said body stable with respect to 1ts transverse axis, and fastening means for a flexible tension device so disposed on the said body that the draft of a flexible tension device'secured thereto acts to hold the body with its said lateral surfaces across the current of the stream while the resultant of the forces of the current and the tension device on the body impels it across the stream as the tension device is paid out.

5. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a buoyant body adapted to sustain itself in astream of water and having relatively deep longitudinally extending lateral surfaces adapted when lying Y across'the current of the stream to strongly resist the same and having also parts extending laterally from the said longitudinal surfaces whereby the latter are stably upright position, means at said body for rendering it maintained in the rear end of stable with respect to its transverse axis, and

fastening means for a flexible tension device 7 so disposed on the said body that the draft of the stream as the tension device is paid out.

6. In apparatus of the character the combination of a body adapted to sustain described,

faces inclined itself in a stream of water and comprising an elongated part having relatively deep longitudinally extending lateral surfaces adapted when lying across the current of the stream to strongly resist the same and means forgiving the body lateral stability so as to maintain the said lateral surfaces in upright position, a rudder device which tends to direct the said body acrossthe current of the stream, and fastening means for a flexible tension device so disposed'on the said body that the draft of a flexible tension device secured thereto acts to hold the body with its said lateral surfaces-across the current of the stream while the resultant of the forces of the current and the tension device on the body impels it across the stream as the tension device is paid out.

7. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a buoyant body adapted to sustain itself in a stream of water and having relatively deep longitudinally extending lateral surfaces adapted when lying across the current of the stream to strongly resist the same and having also parts extending laterally from the said faces whereby the latter are stably maintained in upright position, the said laterally extending parts having their bottom surupwardly and forwardly, and fastening means for a flexible tension device so disposed on the said body that the draft of a flexible tension device secured thereto acts to hold the body with its said lateral surfaces across the current of the stream while the resultant of the forces of the current and'the tension pels it across the stream as the tension device is paid out. 1 r

8. In apparatus of the character described,

theeombination of a bodyadapted to sustain itself in a stream of water and comof the stream to strongly prising an elongated part having relatively deep longitudinally extending lateral surfaces adapted when lying across the current resist 'the same and meansfor giving the body lateral stability so as to maintain the said lateral surfaces in upright position, and fastening means fora flexible tension device adjustably arranged on the said body so that the direction of the draft of a flexible tension device secured thereto can be adjusted to hold the body with its said lateral surfaces across the current of the stream and to cause the resultant of the forces of the current and the tension device on the body to impel it in a desired direction across the stream as the ten sion device is paid out.

; V 9. In apparatus of the character described,

the combination of a body adapted to sustain itselfin'a stream of water and comprising an elongated part having relatively deep longitudinally extending lateral surfaces adaptedwhen lying across the current longitudinal sur device on the body imflexible tension device so disposed on the said body that the draft of a flexibletension device securedthereto acts to hold the body with its said lateral surfaces across the current of the stream while forces of the current and the tension device on the body impels it across the stream as the tension device is paid out, the said fastening means being adapted to secure the flexible tension device either to the left or to the right side of the body whereby the apparatus can be caused to traverse a. stream in either direction. I v

10. In apparatus of the character described, the combination. of a body adapted to sustain itself tively deep longitudinally extending lateral surfaces adapted when lying across the current of the stream to strongly resist the same and means for giving the body lateral stability so as to maintain the said lateral surfaces in upright position, a rudder device which tends to direct the saidv body across the current of the stream, and fastening means for a flexible tension device so disposed on the said body that flexible tension device secured thereto acts to hold the body with its said lateral surfaces across the current of the stream while the resultant of the forces of the current and the tension device on the body impels 1t across the stream as the tension device is aid out, the said-fastening means being adapted to secure the flexible device to either p the left side or the traverse a stream in either direction.

11; In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a buoyant body adapted to sustain itself in a stream of water and comprising a long, narrow longitudinal member with deep lateral surfaces and an elongated transverse -member extending from either side of the longitudinal member and rendering the body stable about its longitudinal axis, and fastening means for a flexible tension device so disposed on the said body that the draft of a flexible tension device secured thereto acts to hold the body with its said lateral'surfaces across the current of the stream while the resultant of in a stream of water and 2 comprising an" elongated part having rela the draft of a the resultant of the the forces of the current and the tension dea tudinal member with deep lateral surfaces character de-' and an elongated transverse member extending from either side of the longitudinal member and rendering the body stable about its longitudinal axis, means for strengthening said body comprising a taut tension device extending from each end of the longltudinal member to each end of the transverse member, and fastening means fora flexible tension device so disposed on the said body that the draft of a flexible tension device secured thereto acts to hold the body with its said lateral surfaces across the current of the stream while the resultant of the forces of the current and the tension de vice on the body impels it across the stream as the tension device is paid out.

13. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a buoyant body adapted to sustain itself in a stream of Water and comprising a long, narrow longitudinal member with deep lateral surfaces and an elongated transverse member extending from either side of the longitudinal member and rendering the body stable about its longitudinal axis, said transverse member having its bottom surface inclined upwardly and forwardly.

14. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a buoyant body adapted to sustain itself in a stream of water and comprising a long, narrow longitudinal member with deep lateral surfaces and an elongated transverse member extending from either side of the longitudinal member and rendering the body stable about Copies of this its longitudinal axis, and means on the rear end of the longitudinal member for guiding the body across the current of the stream and for opposing pitching of the body around the transverse axis, and fastening means for a flexible tensioning device so disposed on the said body that the draft of a flexible tension device secured thereto acts to hold the body with its lateral surfaces across the current of the stream while the resultant of the forces of the current and the tension device on the body impels it across the stream as the tension device is paid out.

15. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a body adapted to sustain itself in a stream of water and comprising an elongatedpart having relatively deep longitudinally extending lateral surfaces adapted when lying across the current of the stream to strongly resist the same and means for giving the body lateral stability so as to maintain the said lateral surfaces in upright position, and a flexible tension device connected to the said body so that its draft thereon acts in conjunction with the force of the current to hold the body with its lateral surfaces across the current of the stream while the resultant of the forces of the current and the tension device on the body impels the latter across the stream as the tension device is paid out.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

FRANK S. BAIRD.

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Washington, D. G. 

